Bee I.D

sigma2x · #1 (**permalink**) 06-07-2009, 10:48 AM

Hi,
This bee comes into my garden almost everyday doing the same thing everytime, fly close to the ground, land on a stone and sit there for a while,
then it will fly off over the wall and come back a few mins later to do the same thing every few minutes.
Sometimes it will land on the whirly washing line and start licking the line? other times it will land on the edge of the shed roof and lick that too?

I've never seen a bee with furry forarms before, does anyone know what it is?

its looking at me

better view

best photo i have of it

eucera · #2 (**permalink**) 06-07-2009, 10:51 AM

This bee is a male Megachile (Leaf-cutter bee), and is almost certainly M. willughbiella. The expanded fore-tarsi are found in males of only 3 British species, of which M. willughbiella is easily the commonest.